Tempera Painting and 24K Gold Gilding Workshop in NYC - April 22-27, 2019

Dacia Gallery: Is pleased to announce Byzantium to the Renaissance: Egg Tempera and Gold Gilding Workshop in New York City. This workshop is intended as an introduction and revival of the centuries old tempera painting and gold gilding techniques for modern painters. To inspire and create stunning modern paintings with the knowledge, materials and techniques of the Byzantine and Renaissance masters. Students will learn to paint in egg tempera and water gild 24K gold leaf with centuries old Byzantine techniques and secrets of the renaissance master painters, from Duccio and Giotto to Simone Martini and Fra Angelico. Specific images have been selected to paint for this project that each student will be able to learn the most techniques from. Including painting the face, garments, decorative gilded backgrounds and applying 24K gold leaf. The workshop is planned that each student will be able to complete a finished painting. Additionally, Dacia Gallery will host a group exhibition of your artwork created during the program, including a reception and artist talk to the public. Your time is meant to be productive, illuminating and memorable.

Invitation to Artists: The Byzantium to the Renaissance Workshop is open to all visual artists, from the beginner, who is seeking to develop basic skills, to the advanced artist who may be interested in insights into the instructor’s approach and practices. National and international artists are invited to attend, including anyone interested in learning more about Medieval and Byzantine art. This is an unique painting technique that was primarily used during the renaissance and previous centuries. It has a wide array of applications to contemporary artists, by learning these ancient techniques to create some visually stunning paintings that are not seen today. If you are interested in participating register today.

Making Your Own Tempera Paint: During the workshop students will learn to make their own egg tempera paints from scratch. By learning the properties and chemistry of pigments, grinding and mixing pigments, applying the egg yolk with distilled water and white wine as a binder, you will make your own paint just like the old masters. No modern store bought paints will equal the vibrancy, beauty and quality of the paints you will learn to make yourself.

Water Gilding 24K Gold Leaf: During the workshop students will learn how to achieve a mirror finish shine to their gold leafed paintings. The process is called Water Gilding, it requires a marble gessoed background on a wood panel on which you apply red clay bole mixed with rabbit skin glue. The clay bole dries, is sanded and polished with an agate stone burnisher. Then solution of distilled water and denatured alcohol is applied on top and the 24K Gold Leaf is placed on the wet areas, it will immediately stick to the bole. Once dried the gold leaf is burnished to a mirror like, perfect finish. Water Gilding is a unique process used by the masters that gives a beautiful finish to backgrounds or to decorative elements in paintings. You will be amazed at the possibilities of the work you can create once you learn how to properly water gild with gold.

Instructor: Lee Vasu is an Artist, Iconographer, Curator and the Founder of Dacia Gallery in New York City. His passion for art enabled him to curate exhibitions nationally and internationally, which inspired him to establish Dacia Gallery in New York City. For more info on Lee Vasu and to see his artwork visit: www.leevasu.com